Coupler centering device



May 25 1926. 1,586,252

E. A. LAUGHLIN COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16 1924 2Sheets-Shoot 1 May 25 1926. 1,586,252

E. A. LAUGHLIN COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nmnrn A. LAUGHLIN, or onnoon, ILLINOIS.

COUPLER CENTERIHG DEVICE.

Application filed September 16, 1924. Serial No. 788,032.

This invention relates to new and useful fective in operation.

'Another object is to provide a carry iron and rockers of suchconstruction that wear .is reduced to a minimum, and the proper play ofthe coupler stem permitted with the use of the minimum amount ofmaterial.

Another object is to provide a device of this character wherein meansare provided for properly lubricating the carry iron and coupler stem.

A further object is to provide'rockers for supporting the carry ironwhereby the minimum amount of friction is produced between the rockersand iron, thus preventing undue wear, and lengthening the life of theparts.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the centering device, the coupler stembeing shown in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of said device.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional view on the line33 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on theline 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents theend sill of a car, to which is secured the casting, represented as awhole by the numeral 11. This casting comprises a rectangular body 12,having a horizontal rearwardly extending flange 13, on its upperportion, which is properly. riveted to the sill. Through the verticalportion of the casting there is formed a rectangular opening 14 throughwhich the coupler stem 15 is disposed. Formed transversely on the plateor casting, beneath, and rearwardly of the opening 14, is a recess orpocket 16, which has the openings 17 in its bottom wall. Disposed withinthis pocket are the rockers 18, which stand vertically and have uppercarrying cam faces 19 and lower supporting cam faces 20, re:

spectively, the latter of which bear on the said bottom wall of thepocket. Formed integrally on the faces of the cams are the lugs 21 and22, respectively, the latter of which extend into the openings 17.-Restingon the upper ends of the rockers 18 is the carry iron 23, saidiron being in the form of a channel which receives the before-mentlonedcoupler stem 15 between its vertical end walls 24. Depending from thefront and rear edges of the carry iron are the flanges 25 and 26, whichembrace therebetween the upper portions of the rockers 18, and in thehorizontal portion of the carry 1ron are openings 27 which receive thelugs of the upper ends of the rockers. It will be noted, upon referenceto Figure 4, of the drawings, that the'openings 27 extend entirelythrough the bottom wall of the pocket of the striking-plate. By thisconstruction dust, dirt, cinders, and the like are permitted free escapefrom the pocket, whereby to prevent accumulations thereof between therockers and the said bottom wall of the pocket. Such accumulationswould, in time, tend to become packed by the rockers, and thereby lifttherockers, with the result that the entire mechanism would be thrownout of gear, and the pocket wall and rockers worn out of shape. Formedthrough the vertical portion of thecasting 11, and above the said pocket16, is the before-mentioned opening 14, and disposed against the rearface of this portion of the casting, and with its end in coveringrelation to said opening, is the member 28, said member being secured tothe casing by the plates 29.

Formed through theside walls of the easing 11 are the openings 11',which permit the easy insertionand removal of the rockers and carryiron, in the assembling and disassembling of the device.

Disposed on the carry iron and having the coupler stem resting thereon,is a hard steel at 31 to straddle the end flanges 24 of the carry iron.The corners of the plate 31. are cut out to permit passage by thestriking plate. The said plate is formed with openmgs 30 to receive andretain lubricahit for the coupler stem.-

It will be noted that the arcs of the ends of rockers are of eaterdiameter toward the ends than at 13%: centers, and that the centers areformed'with flat spots 32. Thus, when the carry iron moves to oneside,'with the coupler stem, the tendency of the rockers is to lift thecarry iron, and the coupler stem, as soon as the side force is removed,

and maintain the parts from continous rock-.

The upper edge of the front wall of the pocket 16 is turned horizontallyinward, as shown at 33, and the lower end of the front dependin flangeor wall 25 is extended horizontally forward to lie beneath the flange33, whereby to prevent upward movement of the carry iron under theinfluence of jars or shocks of the car, and whereby to maintain aconstant and uniform contact between the carry iron and the rockers.Attention is particularly called to the fact that the rockers have atruerolling action with respect to the carry-iron and striking-plate,thus greatly reducing wear of the parts.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway draft appliance, a striking-plate having openings, acarry-iron having openings, a rocker ,mounted between the striking-plateand carry-iron and having a carrying face and a supporting face, saidfaces being arcuate, and lugs rojecting from each of said arcuate facesand openings.

2. The combination with a coupler including an apertured striking-plateand an apertured carry-iron, of rockers mounted between thestriking-plate and carry-iron and hav-' ing arcuate supporting andcarrying faces, theformer being eccentric to the latter and havingprojections extendin into the apertures of the striking-plate, thelatter having projections extending into the apertures of thecarry-iron,

3. In a railway'draft appliance the combination with a carry-iron havingguides thereon and a coupler stem supported thereon and between theguides, of a plate between the coupler stem and carry-iron provided withterminal bifurcations-straddling the coupler stem guides for maintainingsaid plate in position.

' 4 In a railway draft appliance the combination with a carry-ironhaving guides thereon and a coupler stem supported thereon and betweenthe guides, of a plate between the coupler stem and carry-iron providedwith terminal bifurcations straddling the coupler stem guides formaintaining said plate in into said latter from vertical position, saidplate having lubricant receivlng olpenm 5. m1 way draft apphance havingin combination a striking plate having a coupler receiving opening and apocket below said opening, a coupler supporting carry iron fitted withinthe pocket, rocker members interposed between the carry iron and thestriking plate within the pocket, a wear plate interposed between thecarry iron and the coupler, interengaging means between the rockermembers and the carry iron and between the rocker members and thestriking plate, said striking plate being formed with side openings forinserting and removing the parts and cooperating means between the carryiron and a wall of said pocket for limiting the rising movement of thecarry iron.

6. A railway draft appliance comprising in combination a striking platehaving a coupler stem opening therein and a transversely extendingpocket below the opening,

rockers supported within the pocket, a carry iron supported upon therockers, a wear plate interposed between the rockers and the couplerstem, interengaging means between the rockers and the carry iron andbetween the rockers and the striking plate for maintaining the parts inproper relation in their transverse movement, and a retaining flange onthe striking plate positioned to overlie a portion of the carr iron tomaintain the displacement.

7. A railway draft appliance comprising in combination a striking platehaving a coupler stem opening therein and a trans versely extendingpocket below said opening, rockers supported within the pocket, a carryiron supported on the rockers, a wear plate interposed between therockers and the coupler stem, interengaging means be tween the rockersand the striking plate and between the rockers and the carry iron formaintaining the parts in proper relation in their transverse movement,and a retaining flange on the striking plate positioned to overlie aportion of the carry iron to retain the latter from verticaldisplacement and said carry iron being formed with depending flangespositioned to embrace the rockers to retain the latter in their verticalposition.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ELMYR A. LAUGHLIN.

